At 6.1 inches, the Huawei Ascend Mate is set to further blur the already blurry line between phablets and actual tablets like the Nexus 7 (that’s the comparatively small Ascend D2 above). It’s all about bringing the fight to Samsung and one-upping the popular Galaxy Note 2. Huawei CEO Yu Chengdong says he’s currently using both the Ascend Mate and Galaxy Note 2 to compare, make notes, and ensure that his company’s pocket-busting device offers a superior all-round user experience.

Apart from the diagonal display measurement, Yu didn’t offer any additional specifics. He did, however, boast of a “more stunning” display — and based on what ZTE, LG, and Oppo are preparing to launch you’d have to assume that means the Ascend Mate will feature a 1080p panel. He also mentions a slimmer bezel and a chassis that’s easier to grip. Both will be important design features, since the 6.1-inch phone will already be stretching some hands to their limits.

Although Yu pegs the Ascend Mate as a direct challenger to the Galaxy Note , he doesn’t specify whether a stylus is part of the package. Even with a bigger battery on board (which Yu also hints at), there should be plenty of room inside the Ascend Mate to sneak one in. Whether or note a stylus is included will probably depend on whether or not Huawei decides it actually does anything to improve the UX.

Perhaps the best news to come out of Yu’s revelation is that the Ascend Mate will be cheaper than the Galaxy Note 2. You’d certainly hope Huawei could produce something that will sell for less than $799 if LG can pump out the Nexus 4 and still justify a sticker price of $349, … though at 6.1 inches, it’s probably more logical to line up the Ascend Mate with the $299 Nexus 7 with HSPA if you’re talking about pricing expectations.